I know, I know. You want the strawhats to appear right? it's been 16 freaking chapters, and all you see has only been an annoying little girl and a Luffy who is still a crybaby. So, I WANT TO SAY TODAY, YOU GUYS—
(scroll to end notes)
Tsuki knew there was a newspaper that a News Coo would bring over. Not everyone in the Empire was entitled to one, so she had never had the chance to read it.
Makino did have copies of recent newspapers, which Tsuki eagerly borrowed. It didn't report anything on the Empire— not even about the deaths of the Grand Masters. She was sure it would have been the headlines, but maybe something else was going on there?
There was nothing about her mother nor her father.
Nothing about her too. The dummy head by the Wu Zun must had done its job well.
It wasn't much of a disappointment to see nothing being reported; the Empire of Churia was closed-off, though not entirely. Information was harder to get in or out, with the seas between them and the rest of the world, and especially with somebody who has been tightening their control over the flow of information as the years passed. The landmass of the Empire was large enough to be called a continent of its own, and with a population of millions, they had enough news within their own country to be entertained with.
Tsuki believed that if she grabbed anyone from the four Blues, they wouldn't know of the existence of Empire of Churia in the New World.
Well, except the minority that do actually come to join the Tournament. Of course, each of their identities are vetted by said somebody. Including their entire family history, down to how their thrice removed cousin ate how many bowls of rice for breakfast every morning. The Tournament may boast of participation from "all around the world", but anyone who was able to step onto the soil of the Empire were carefully handpicked by the World Government.
Only the World Government was capable of spending so much effort in creating an illusion of freedom.
So maybe they are repressing this incident?
She was sure quite a few of the Grand Masters are dead, which was sure to throw the society into chaos. The seat of a Grand Master— all the sects must be in a power struggle now.
Or...do they even know that they are dead?
Tsuki smoothed out the furrow in her brows with a finger. She didn't need to care about anything else. Just focus on getting back and finding her parents' bodies.
But she couldn't risk getting caught either. She decided to gather information by travellers, as some may have communication lines spread across the world. The World Government can censor and erase information but they can never stop people from running their mouths.
After the two brothers happily stashed away their loot somewhere which Tsuki wasn't allowed to see, they happily brought her on a trip round the docks, questioning sailors and merchants and bar owners nearby for any news from the New World. Most of them shook their heads, some of them did give snippets of irrelevant information, and none of them offered sweets to the children (which Tsuki pouted over a little).
She always had snacks offered to her with some obvious eyeing and 'oh-no-I-can't-possibly-take-it' smiles. It must be the two horribly mannered wolves behind her ruining her chances.
"I'm hungry..." Luffy dragged his feet across the ground, "Can we eat something?"
"There's some food beneath your feet," Tsuki trudged on. They had spent the whole afternoon gathering nothing but useless information and (with no snacks offered,) she was getting irritated.
"There's only dirt beneath my feet..."
"Exactly."
Luffy drooped like a wilting sunflower, "But...I want meat..."
Sabo glanced at the frowning Tsuki and his whining brother. "We should call it a day here, we tried everyone and they had no news."
Tsuki stopped in her tracks, "No, we haven't tried everyone. We haven't found any pirates."
"Don't be so stubborn. What are you going to do? Sit at the docks all night to watch for any incoming ships?" Sabo grabbed Luffy's hand, "C'mon Luffy, let's go back and hunt for some meat. It's time for dinner."
The blond boy took a few steps before turning serious eyes back on Tsuki. "You should stay away from pirates. I know you have magic or whatever it is, but they are dangerous," Sabo's eyes slid to Luffy, "and they won't hesitate to kill us children."
"And this bitch here won't hesitate to kill anyone too."
Tsuki's head snapped to the left, her face carefully blank. "Ace. When did you come?"
The freckled boy's expression was as carefully blank as hers. But his eyes...
"Ace! Where were— no, what did you say just now?" Sabo's grin at the return of his brother faded into a confused one. Luffy was oddly silent upon seeing Ace.
Ace still didn't let any of those emotions that swirled within those black eyes show. "I said, don't get too close to this bitch."
A moment of silence settled over them, smothering the four in thick tension.
Tsuki held his stare calmly, "Did you go to find her?" It sounded more like a statement than a question that she was asking, "What did you find?"
"What are you two talking abo—" Luffy's nervous pull on Sabo's sleeves stopped him from finishing his sentence. The slow, somewhat pleasant mood from before had soured so quickly that it made Sabo gulp uncomfortably. The two continued their stare down, none of them moving an inch.
Tsuki didn't like confrontations. She never made an enemy of anyone, not when she could have them wrapped around her little finger. People are more useful as friends than as enemies.
The sun was beginning to set. Her shadow stretched out behind her, while Ace's shadow crept towards her feet.
Ace didn't answer.
Sabo tried to cut through the tension, "Um, Ace, she's a witch from the Grand Line. She was sent here after she got caught in a trap set by her relatives. She helped us steal treasures from—"
"And you believed her?"
The cold question from the eldest of the three drew an embarrassed murmur from Sabo.
Sabo and Ace were always careful in placing their trust in others, Ace even more so. Having a mysterious girl pop out from nowhere was something so suspicious they wouldn't touch even with a ten-foot pole, but they hadn't factored in their curiosity. No one should pet a tiger, yet people want to do it even if it might rip their hand off. A girl with magical abilities and a cryptic background was enough to pique anyone's curiosity, especially for the three free-spirited, inquisitive brothers. They knew they should push her away, but the task became harder the more she stuck around. It became even harder when she fed a little of Sabo's curiosity with lies, leaving him wanting to learn more.
Which led to the smart boy foolishly nodding along to Tsuki's story.
Everything would have been fine if Ace didn't tear down that curtain of "friendliness" they put up. They would have continued using each other to their benefit: Tsuki to gain information, Sabo and Ace to satisfy their curiosity.
Tsuki found herself looking at Luffy, the most gullible, most innocent child she had ever met. The boy stared back at her with clear eyes that she had the urge to dig out of his skull— anything to make him stop staring like that.
She let her gaze escape to Ace's frigid one. "I didn't kill her." Tsuki ignored the twisting in her gut; she seemed to get that a lot lately.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sabo's expression harden. He must have understood what they were talking about.
Ace snorted, lip curling up in disgust, "You think I believe you?"
The cool evening wind suddenly felt like icicles scraping across her skin. She couldn't stop her eyes from narrowing dangerously as she gritted out, "Don't be so quick to accuse when you haven't learned the full story. Open your eyes before you open your mouth."
He answered so quickly he almost cut her off. "I know everything," Ace's shadow was creeping up her legs now, "She hated you, tried to kill you, and you hated her for that, so you killed her."
The thick tension had solidified into ice by now, but Ace continued, "I'm not like you."
What?
The abrupt curveball threw her for a loop. What does he mean by that? What nonsense is he spouting now?
The tide of anger that had been slowly rising shot up in an instant. A squinty-eyed cockroach bastard like him dared to act like a know-it-all with his pea-sized brain?
"Let's go Sabo, Luffy. Don't ever meet her again. If I see you guys with her I'll beat the crap out of you two."
Throwing down this last sentence, the eldest pulled the other two towards their home.
Tsuki caught Luffy's gaze as he was wrestled away by his brothers. She stood there, glaring at the three of them, with nowhere to release the frustration and anger that had built up. She was about to punch Ace right in the eye when he suddenly left.
"Not like me? Not like me? Ridiculous! Of course he is not like me! I'm smarter than him! That...! That little bug! Idiot!" She stomped her foot, creating a small crater. "Damn him! I'm going to beat him up!"
Makino opened the door to a very aggravated Tsuki-ball.
"Oh! Dear! What happened?" The kind lady ushered the huffing and puffing ball onto a chair, placing a cup of water before Tsuki, "What made you so angry? Did someone bully you?"
Tsuki's eyes flashed at the thought of Ace, "Yeah! Ace did!"
"Oh, no, that boy. He is always so rude isn't he?"
"He's— he's so mean!" Tsuki almost slammed the cup down on the table before catching herself at the last moment.
"I know, I know. Here, dinner is ready, help yourself." Makino handed her a bowl of rice, "Eat up. Tell me what happened."
Tsuki inhaled the food indignantly. "I helped them st— find some treasures, and Ace comes and...and..."
Should I tell Makino?
Makino's brown eyes were trained on hers, "And?"
And it looks like Ace was a bigger blabbermouth than I thought.
The little girl paused, putting down her bowl and swallowing the rest of the food. She searched Makino's face for anything that may show that she believed Ace's words. "You know already, don't you? Ace told you."
"Wow, you're really sharp, Tsuki! Yes, Ace came earlier to tell me you had killed a lady in town." The bar owner's tone was light, like they were just talking about the weather, "I don't think you did it though."
"You don't?" Tsuki was puzzled, "Why not?"
"I believe a cute little girl you wouldn't do that," she chuckled, "And sometimes, Ace can be a little rash. He tends to— "
"But she's dead."
Makino's smile froze.
The 'tick, tick, tick' of the clock filled the silence. Sunlight retreated from the windows as night descended upon them.
Tsuki continued, her voice dipping low in the darkening room, "Do you still believe me?"
She watched the bar owner's brown eyes search hers. Then—
"Yes."
"Why?" Tsuki took the wooden spoon she had been eating with and broke off a small portion of the handle, crushing the wood until it turned to tiny wood splinters that spilled from between her fingers onto the floor. "Look. I'm strong. I can kill people. You don't know who I am, where I'm from, what I'm doing here...you don't know anything about me. Do you still believe me?"
"Of course, Tsuki."
The little girl avoided the gentle eyes of the bar owner.
Makino reached out and took the Churian girl's closed fist into her hand, softly pulling her fingers open so she could check for injuries. "It's true that I don't know where you came from, or what happened between you and that lady. However, I believe that every person deserves to be believed in."
Her voice was soft like a mother's embrace, which only made Tsuki focus more on the floorboards. "No one wants to be bad. I believe that you didn't kill her."
"Why don't you believe in Ace's words then? You know him better than me." Tsuki's eyes flicked up long enough to catch Makino's eyes curving into a smile before flicking back down to the floorboards.
"I didn't say I don't believe in Ace's words."
"What?" The little girl's head shot up, "How can you believe him and in me at the same time? It...It doesn't make sense."
The bar owner tilted her head, "Hmm, how should I put this? Although Ace is rash and a knucklehead at times, he is an honest boy, " Makino chuckled at the thought of him. "He tells me his truth, because he doesn't know it is not true. And I will believe in his truth, until I discover the real truth. At the same time, I believe that you wouldn't do such a horrible thing...oh my, it's getting quite complicated."
Makino looked at the confused child, then got up to switch the lights on. The sun had already completely set in the length of their conversation.
"What colour is this light bulb giving off?" Makino asked Tsuki, pointing to the bulb hanging above the wooden table.
Tsuki: "White."
"What we see now is a light bulb that gives off white-coloured light. Say, I believe that this bulb can give off pink-coloured light. But is this light bulb able to do that?"
The little girl shook her head.
"That's what you believe," Makino grinned. "Now, let's imagine that you told me that the light bulb is unable to give off pink light. I choose to believe your words, because it is a possibility. It can be the truth. I can also still hold my own belief that the bulb can shine pink, because it is not proven to be wrong."
Then, she flicked the switch a few times, turning the light bulb on and off. It still lit the room with white light. "But we can clearly see that the light bulb only shines white. Your belief is the truth. My belief is false. Can I still hold on to my belief?"
"...No."
"Wrong. I still can believe that the light can shine pink." Makino made her way back beside Tsuki, kneeling down to her eye level, "A belief is my own wishful thinking about something, or someone. My belief may not be the truth, it could be proven to be not the truth, and I still can believe it— just because I choose to. " She gently cupped Tsuki's face between her hands, gazing into the child's eyes, "It is exactly this strong faith in someone that goes against all logic and reason that gives them strength."
Makino sighed, "Or bring them to ruin."
Tsuki waited patiently for her to continue.
"A belief can be positive or negative, such as 'this person is evil'. It is up to the believed to decide whether they should take it to heart, and how they take it. They can choose to let these beliefs become a strength that pushes them to be a better person, or let these beliefs become chains that they will never struggle free from. And of course, they can choose to not care about these beliefs at all. After all, what does all these wishful thinking from another person have to do with them?" Makino settled back into her seat, taking a sip from the cup of water she poured for Tsuki.
"Oh no, I'm rambling already," she gave an apologetic smile.
"It's okay. I find this very interesting." The little girl found herself smiling back.
"Well, I think everyone should have a chance to let my belief become their strength. Everyone deserves to be believed in." Makino glanced at the dishes that had been left untouched on the table, "I shall reheat the dinner— "
"Were you ever going to ask me if I had really killed her?" Tsuki interrupted, fidgeting in her seat, still gripping the wooden spoon with the broken handle. "I couldn't even tell that Ace had talked to you before I started on that topic. You were...so casual...with a potential murderer like me..."
"I was thinking of asking after dinner, and my mind hasn't changed. So hurry and finish your meal so I can ask you, alright?"
Tsuki's mouth dropped open, "A-Alright."
The little girl spent some time after dinner vaguely explaining the whole situation (including her very elaborate lie of witches and witchcraft), which earned her several comforting hugs from Makino, and a promise from her to help in any way she can.
Bedtime rolled around and the bar owner tucked her in personally.
But Tsuki still couldn't sleep.
Hell no.
She was still fuming mad. The girl tossed and turned around, trying to calm down by convincing herself that whatever the three brothers thought about her didn't matter. She was going to be gone soon anyways. She would never see them again anyways. Ace was a prick, Sabo was a prick, Luffy was—
"Argh." Tsuki muffled into the pillow.
And what the heck was Ace talking about? 'I'm not like you'? Not like me? Where did that come from? How...? What...?
This time Tsuki punched the pillow.
"I'm going to strangle you in your sleep..." The Churian girl pushed herself off the bed, careful to avoid any creaks in the wood, "...I'll let you see what is called 'murder'!"
It was also a sleepless night for the three brothers...or two.
Luffy had bothered his older brothers for answers till he fell asleep by accidentally letting his eyes blink for too long, but heavy thoughts kept the other two from blissful sleep. They laid beside each other in silence, listening to the rhythmic snores of the youngest.
"b r u h she a hoe"
"ikr smhmh no feet pic"
still can't see them in this chapter.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH TOO BAD
P.S.I have no idea when they are going to appear too! Isn't that cool?! Even the author herself has no idea!
I seriously think my fanfic will update as long as the manga is continuing, because I have no idea how to end the story and I need Go. D A to give me some hints on the secrets of the World Government so i can somehow twist it to fit this goddamn fanfic
bruh this chapter gave me a headache to write and the last 2 lines are jokes im sorry
Anyways, i heard most of the world is in lockdown, so i hope this chapter did help in retaining your sanity
